The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-10-20
Jefferson's Ingenuity.

think it is not generally known,
writes Frank Stockton in the Century,
with what pleasure and zeal Jefferson
brought his mind to bear, not only
upon the development of his some
what grand idea in regard to a home,
but upon the most minute and peculiar
contrivances for convenience and
adornment. He drew plans and made
estimates for nearly everything that
was built or constructed on his place.
He calculated the number of bricks he
used in every part of his buildings,
and his family now possess elaborate
ly-drawn plans of such bits of house.
hold furnishing as "curtain yalences"
and the like. There were no bedsteads in
his house, but in every chamber there
was an alcove in the wall in which a
wooden framework was built which
supported the bed. His own sleeping
arrangements during the lifetime of
his wife were of very peculiar ma
ture. In the partition between two
chambers was an archway, and in this
archway was the double bed; one
chamber was Mr.. Jefferson's room and
the other was his wife's dressing-room.
When he arose in the morning he got
out of bed into his own room, and
Mrs Jefferson got out into her room.
After his wife's death her room became
his study, and the partition wall be-
tween it and the library being taken
down, the whole was thrown into the
present large apartment. Over the
archway in which the bed is placed is
long closet reached by step-ladder
placed in another closet at the foot of
the bed. In this were stored in sum-
mer the winter clothes of the family,
and in winter their summer habila-
ments. At the other side of the arch
there is small door, so that persons
going from one room to the other had
no need to Chamber over the bed.
In the smaller chamber when it be-
came his study. stood Mr.. Jefferson's
writing chair, which was made to suit
his peculiar needs. The chair itself
was high-bscked. well-rounded and
cushioned, and in front of 1t extended
a cushioned platform on which Mr..
Jefferson found it very pleasant to
stretch his legs, being sometimes
troubled with swellings of the smaller
veins of thsse limbs. The writing
table was SO made that It could be
drawn up over this platform. legs and
all. and pushed down when not in use.
The top of this table turned on pivot;
on one side of it were his writing ma
terials, and ON the other was the little
apparatus by which he made copies of
all his letters. BY his side was an
other revolving table, ON which his
books of reference lay, or were held
open at proper angles. Near him also
stood a pair Of large globes; and, if he
wished to study anything outside of
this world, he had in the room two
long telescopes mounted on brass tri-
pods, Convenient also were his vio-
Inns, one q Cremona and the other the
bass viol saved from the Shadwell fire.
Besides the book-shelves and the some
what simple furniture of the library,
there were number of oddly con-
trived little closets in which were
stored his multitudinous manuscripts.
There is writing-table now in the
possession Of the family which was fire.
quently used by Mr.. Jefferson, and
which is ingeniously contrived. Two
of its four legs are hollow, and in these
run rods resting upon springs by which
the table can be easily elevated, the
other two legs being also extensible
but in different way. When Mr..
Jefferson was tired Of writing in sit.
ting position he could stand up and
raise this table to the desired height.
When he wished to use it as reading
stand the top could be inclined at any
angle, and strip of brass was brought
into use to keep the books and papers
from sliding off.
Opening from the library was
large room inclosed with glass, which
was intended for conservatory, but
was used by Mr.. Jefferson as his work
room. There he had a workbench
with all sorts of carpenters tools, with
which he constructed great many of
the small conveniences he invented.